Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-03

for a pardon or eommutatlon of sentence at
the hands of the governor of Illinois.
Second despatch.
The decision was announced this afternoon
by Chief Justice Waite in long and care
fully prepared opinion which occupied 80
minutes in reading.
The court holds in brief;
l. That the first ten amendments TO the
constitution are limitations upon federal and
not upon State sections.
2. That the jury law of Illinois upon its
face is valid and constitutional.
B. That it does not appear in the record
that upon the evidence al the trial the court
should have declared Juror Sanford incom-
petent.
t. That the objections to the admission
of Johann Mosts testimony and the cross
examination of Spies were not objected to in
the trial and that therefore no foundation
was laid for the exercise of the supreme
courts jurisdiction.
). That the questions raised by General
Butler in the case of Spies and Fielden upon
the fact Of their foreign nationality were
neither raised nor decided i'll the State courts
and therefore cannot be considered at Wash
ington.
The condemned anarchists were all in their
cells when the supreme courts decision was
received. Spies read the note sent by re-
porter announcing the result and remarked,
Il have nothing to say" None of the other
men would say anything. All is quiet about
the Jail The denial of the writ was univer
sally expected.
The Chicago police think they discovered
a plot among anarchist sympathizers to blow
up the county Jail. One morning recently "A
strange man came to the Jail and his move
mcnts were suspicious that Jailer Folz
sent out Deputy Sheriff Webb, who has
charge of the men outside and who is an old
central station detective. This man had not
been to the Jail before but he walked into the
cage and talked familiarly with Fischer,
Lingg, and one or two others. He began to
size up the interior of the Jail and before
he left walked into the Jail and seemed TO
examine with more than curious interest the
passages leading to the various wards. When
he left Deputy Webb followed him. Be
tween Illinois and Indiana streets he crossed
North Clark street, and then started south
and kept a watchful, wary outlook until he
reached the bridge. Webb followed him all
the time. At the bridge the man paused ir-
rcsolntely and Deputy Webb slackencd his
pace. A big propeller was coming up the
river and the bridge began to turn slowly.
The man appeared to be in reflective mood
and watched the bridge tenders at their work.
Just as the north end of the bridge swung
clear of the abutmcnt the man suddenly woke
up, made dash for it, and leaped upon the
moving bridge. Webb saw the trick too late
and some yards of empty space intervened
between them by the time he checked him
self with an effort at the end of the abutment.
When the bridge closed the fugitive lost him
self among the crowd of people waiting to
cross at the south end of the bridge and the
bafied deputy, after frultless search along
Clark and South Water streets, returned
The next evening, about eight o'clock, this
same manswas seen lettering in the alley
north of the Jail, accommodating the locality.
A policeman noticed his queer actions and
notified two detectives. They ran around
the other side of the building and saw the
suspect hand paper to boy. The man
disappeared into an alley and the boy tried to
hide himself in the crowd on Clark street.
A detective caught the boy. He found in
his pocket paper containing minute de-
scrption of parts of the Jail. BY accident
part of this description fell into the hands of
a reporter. 1t reads:
"The north end of the Jail contains four
teen windows, twelve panes each They are
twelve feet from the ground and barred with
round iron bars"
The boy was taken to the Chicago Avenue
police station, where he is now held. The
police say they are now looking for the man
who gave him the paper.
Preparations are making for the execution.
Ropes have been ordered from an eastern
firm and an additional scaffod will be built.
There are two scaffolds in the basement of
the criminal court but they will not accom-
modate over five persons The new one will
be like the one on which the three Italian
murderers were hanged some time ago, with
a slight improvement in the traps.
Already the morbidly curious people of
Chicago and outside points are sending. re-
quests for tickets. Letters by the score are
arriving daily from provincial journalists who
desire to secure tickets All will be disap-
pointed.
If the hanging takes place on the eleventh
there will be only few present. The sher
iff will adhere strictly to the law and no one
except representatives of the city papers,
press associations, members of the jury and
attorneys will be allowed to be present
Within fifteen minutes after the receipt of
the decision eight or ten officers, citizens and
others appeared at the Jail. They were rig
idly debarred.
There was rush OF people To the jail TO
see the prisoners. Friends bearing baskets
of delicacies to the doomed men begged earn
estly for admission. The baskets were
passed in but only relatives gained admis-
sion.
Every effort is being made to guard against
suicide.
Mrs. Engell Lingg's aunt, cousin and an
admirer Mrs. Parsons, and Spies mother.
III rI r.J
and were admitted. All were in excellent
spirits save Mrs. Iingg and Spies mother.
The moment the decision reached the po-
lice headquarters all the detectives in the
building suddenly disappeared. All are un-
der sealed instructions. ''We won't he
caught mapping" was all the officials would
say.